Germany 2010 - Page Text Content

BC: Created by: Suzette J. All text of Places was taken from Wikipedia. Copyright 2010 Tour Date: July 5 to August 2

FC: OUR MINI EUROPEAN TOUR 2010 | Germany | Italy | France | Monaco

1: Pauline C. Newmarket, ON Canada | A view from the top! | At Montreal Airport waiting for our plane going to Zurich | Day 1-Airport July 5

2: Zurich Airport

3: My first drink (EVER): Radler. | Day 2 - Arrival Munich | Munich (German: München, Austro-Bavarian: is the capital city of Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg.

4: Day 2- Regensburg (Quick Stop Over) | Regensburg (German pronunciation: [ensbk]; historically also Ratisbon, from Celtic Ratisbona, Austro-Bavarian: Rengschburg German pronunciation: ['rbk], Czech: ezno, Slovak: Rezno, Latin: Castra Regina) is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate. The large medieval center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. | Pauline's first beer! Woaah, without permission from Dad?! To Alexanderrr (Al), I'm "Kanada", and auntie Suzette is "The Other Kanada". And as you can see, he's very fond of my shoes.

5: Day 3 - Back in Munich July 7 | Olympia Park was overflowing with people! the subway was jammed-packed! Everyone was so excited! Deutschland vs. Spanien, ja?

6: Sadly, no party for us. )= Germany lost vs. Spain! But we were doing our best to keep up appearances.

7: A visit to Residenz Muenchen! Such treasures on display! (Maybe we should have taken one home, lol) | Day 4 - Around Munich

8: Went around the city and Cindy checking some of her clients. Had a good Chinese dinner, I think?

9: The New Town Hall (German: Neues Rathaus) is a town hall at the northern part of Marienplatz in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It hosts the city government including the city council, offices of the mayors and part of the administration. In 1874 the municipality had left the Old Town Hall for its new domicile | Day 4- Munich First look of the City

10: Venice (Italian: Venezia [ventsja] , Venetian: Venesia) is a city in northern Italy known both for tourism and for industry, and is the capital of the region Veneto, with a population of about 272,000 (census estimate 1 January 2004). Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area (population 1,600,000). | Storyline | Day 5 Venice

11: Incredible place! Huge and imposing! The grandeur of Venice! | the water is a bit disappointing though . . .

13: The mask with a thousand faces?

16: Verona is a city in Veneto, northern Italy, home to approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the second most populated municipality of the region and the third of North-East Italy. Themetro area of Verona has an area of 1.426 km2 (0.55 sq mi) and has a population of 714.274 inhabitants.[1] It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, thanks to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans. The city has been awarded world heritage site status by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture. | Day 6

17: The play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare was based in Verona. One of Shakespeare's early comedies was titled The Two Gentlemen of Verona. | The balcony where Juliet looked down on Romeo

18: Fountain of youth

19: Verona has a continental climate characteristic of Northern Italy's inland plains, with hot summers and cool, humid winters, even though Lake Garda's quasi-Mediterranean climate has a partial influence on the city. The relative humidity is high throughout the year, especially in winter when it causes fog, mainly from dusk till late morning, although the phenomenon has become increasingly less frequent in recent years

20: Florence Day -7 | We arrived at dusk and Cindy went around looking for accommodation while we were waiting at the station

21: Florence (Italian: Firenze [firntse], alternate obsolete spelling: Fiorenza; Latin: Florentia) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the metropolitan area). The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world,[5][6] and its artistic,[7] historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains to this day. The city has a major impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains elegant squares (piazzas), Renaissance palaces (palazzi), academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers. The city has also been nominated, according to a 2007 study, as the most desirable destination for tourists in the world.

24: All photos on this page was taken in the middle of the night, we were out there basking Florence at it's best! No people around!!! ;) LOL!

26: It was hot and humid . . . no trees around, not even a breeze, but the site is magnificent! | Day 8 Pisa

27: Pisa listen (helpinfo) (English pronunciation: /piz/; Italian pronunciation: [pisa]) is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its Leaning Tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), the city of over 87,500 residents contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno. The city is also home of the University of Pisa, which has a history going back to the 12th century

32: Day - 9 San Giminiano

33: San Gimignano was founded as a small village in the 3rd century BC by the Etruscans. Historical records begin in the 10th century, when it adopted the name of the bishop Saint Geminianus, who had defended it from Attila's Huns. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, it was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. The city's development also was improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills. In 1199, during the period of its highest splendour, the city made itself independent from the bishops of Volterra. Divisions between Guelphs and Ghibellines troubled the inner life of the commune, which nonetheless, still managed to embellish itself with artworks and architectures. Saint Fina, known also as Seraphina and Serafina, was a 13th century Italian saint born in San Gimignano during 1238. Since Saint Fina died on March 12, 1253 her feast day became March 12. Her major shrine is in San Gimignano and the house said to be her home still stands in the town. On May 8, 1300, San Gimignano hosted Dante Alighieri in his role of ambassador of the Guelph League in Tuscany.[citation needed] The city flourished until 1348, when the Black Death that affected all of Europe, compelled it to submit to Florence. San Gimignano became a secondary centre until the 19th century, when its status as a touristic and artistic resort began to be recognised.

35: The place is incredible! I can sit around all day long just looking at all the people coming and going, seeing the joy in thier faces.

37: There's many place like this around the town, a labyrinth where you could be lost . . .

38: Siena (Italian pronunciation: [sjna] ;also widely spelled Sienna in English) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008. Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the palio.

39: This is where we started shopping! Whew, so many beautiful Italian leathers, we salivated on the jackets, bags, wallets, etc, etc, etc.!!!

40: Interesting Australian family we met!

43: Rome (English pronunciation: /rom/; Italian: Roma pronounced [roma] ( listen); Latin: Rma) is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in 1,285.3 km2 (496.3 sq mi). The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy. Rome's history spans over two and a half thousand years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea for over seven hundred years from the 1st Century BC until the 7th Century AD. Since the 1st Century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic. | Day - 10

44: Meeting some family in Rome!!! and some more shopping!

45: Day 11

48: Inside St Peter's Basilica

50: Day - 12 Genova | Genoa (Italian: Genova listen (helpinfo), pronounced [dnova]; in Genoese and Ligurian: Zena, pronounced [zena]; in Latin and, archaically, in English: Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000. Genoa's Metropolitan Area has a population of about 1,400,000. It is also called la Superba ("the Superb one") due to its glorious past.[2] Part of the old city of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006 (see below). The city's rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history, made it 2004's EU Capital of culture. Genoa, which forms the southern corner of the Milan-Turin-Genoa industrial triangle of north-west Italy, is one of the country’s major economic centres.[3][4] With a GDP of 15.08 billion Euros, or 1.3% of the national total, the city ranked fifth in Italy for economic strength in the year 2000: after Rome (6.45%), Milan (4.74%), Turin (2.19%) and Naples (1.51%), and ahead of Bologna (1.01%), Florence (1.00%) and Palermo (0.94%).[5] The Bank of Saint George, one of the oldest in the world, was founded here in 1407 and played an important role in the city’s prosperity from the middle of the 15th century.[6][7] Today a number of leading Italian companies are based in the city, including Ansaldo Energia,[8] Ansaldo STS and Edoardo Raffinerie Garrone

54: Ventimiglia is a city and comune in Liguria, northern Italy, in the province of Imperia. It is located 130 km (80.78 mi) southwest ofGenoa by rail, and 7 km from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia River, which divides the town into two parts. Ventimiglia's urban area has a population of 55,000. It is a popular destination during the summer for tourists spending their vacation along the French Riviera. Particularly popular all year with visitors from France is the Friday street market, which takes place along the seafront of the new town, and is a cause of major traffic congestion | Day 13

57: This is a border town between Italy and France. The last town were at prior to going back to Munich. We swam in these beach that you see in the picture.

58: I think we're lost?

59: Nice (pronounced /nis/; French pronunciation: [nis]; Niard Occitan: Nia [classical norm] or Nissa [nonstandard], Italian: Nizza or Nizza Marittima, Greek: , Latin: Nicaea) is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of 71.92 km2 (28 sq mi). The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of over 955,000[1] on an area of 721 km2 (278 sq mi). Located on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, Nice is second largest French city on the Mediterranean coast. The city is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nissa la Bella in Niard), which means Nice the Beautiful. Nice is the capital city of the Alpes Maritimes department, and the second biggest city of the Region Provence-Alpes-Cte d'Azur after Marseille.

62: We were walking the street of Nice and Monte Carlo! Pretending to be lost to asked a cute guy for for direction. :)Tsk,tsk, tsk, Pauline forgot to aked for his tel. no. LOL! | Memories | Memories | Memories | Memories | Memories | Memories

63: Monte Carlo (French: Monte-Carlo, Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco's administrative areas.[1] The official capital is the city of Monaco, which is coterminous with the country itself.[ Monte Carlo is widely known for its casino. The permanent population is about 3,000. Monte Carlo quarter includes not only Monte Carlo proper where the Le Grand Casino is located, it also includes the neighbourhoods of Saint-Michel, Saint-Roman/Tenao, and the beach community of Larvotto. It borders the French town of Beausoleil (sometimes referred to as Monte-Carlo-Supérieur). | Founded in 1866, Monte Carlo has a name of Italian origin meaning "Mount Charles", in honor of the then-reigning prince, Charles III of Monaco. The specific mountain is the escarpment at the foot of the Maritime Alps on which the town stands | Memories | Memories | Memories | Memories

66: Cannes (French pronunciation: [kan], in Occitan Canas) is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Communes of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department. The city is also famous for its various luxury shops, restaurants, and hotel | Cannes: the name In the 10th century the town was known as Canua[citation needed]. The name may derive from "canna", a reed. Canua was probably the site of a small Ligurian port, and later a Roman outpost on Le Suquet hill, suggested by Roman tombs discovered here. Le Suquet housed an 11th-century tower which overlooked swamps where the city now stands. Most of the ancient activity, especially protection, was on the Lérins islands and the history of Cannes is the history of the islands

68: Train Station of Milan, where we pass by going back to Munich

69: On our way to Regensburg at the Munich train Station | Day 15

70: The Nymphenburg Palace (German: Schloss Nymphenburg), i.e. "Nymph's Castle", is a Baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The palace was the main summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria | The palace was commissioned by the prince-electoral couple Ferdinand Maria and Henriette Adelaide of Savoy to the designs of the Italian architect Agostino Barelli in 1664 after the birth of their son Maximilian II Emanuel. The central pavilion was completed in 1675.

75: One of a few towns we visited, I can't remeber the name but maybe Pauline remembers. . .

76: Back in Munich at the University Belt

79: Rothenburg ob der Tauber (German pronunciation: [otnbk p de tab]) is a town in the district of Ansbach of Mittelfranken (Middle Franconia), the Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany, well known for its well-preserved medieval old town, a destination for tourists from around the world. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City. Traffic-reducing measures are in place in a significant fraction of Rothenburg

85: Neuschwanstein Castle (German: Schloss Neuschwanstein, pronounced [nvantan]) is a 19th-century Gothic Revival palace on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria, Germany. The palace was commissioned by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as an homage to Richard Wagner. The palace was intended as a personal refuge for the reclusive king, but it was opened to the paying public immediately after his death in 1886. Since then over 60 million people have visited Neuschwanstein Castle. More than 1.3 million people visit annually, with up to 6,000 per day in the summer.[3] The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle.

89: Austria , officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people[3] in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,797 metres (12,457 ft).[7] The majority of the population speaks German,[8] which is also the country's official language.[1] Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.

91: The hills are alive . . .

92: Back at Regensburg

94: The pizza was good! Three boxes of it and you will never want to eat pizza again!